“I was here last year,” said the 2016 defenseman from Waterford High in Utah. “The biggest thing is here it’s a lot quicker game. Back home each team has one or two kids that can really play. Here you have to play as a team; no one person stands out because everyone here is going places.”

Huntsman and Wasatch finished a three-day, three-game series of exhibitions tonight at Chestnut Hill College with a 5-2 win over Black Bear L.C. On Tuesday Wasatch defeated team 380, 8-7, and on Wednesday it fell to Duke’s L.C. Lite, 8-7.

The games will surely prepare Wasatch for the Tri-State Tournament this weekend in South Jersey where Wasatch finished second last year in its division.

The trip East for Wasatch was again organized by its General Manager/Coach Adam Eddinger, an assistant coach at Chestnut Hill College; as well as Wasatch co-coaches Danny and Ricky Larkin. Wednesday’s game vs. Dukes Lite is also available to watch online at accesslacrosse.com

Wasatch L.C. with Duke’s Lite

“We really want to win the (Tri-State) tournament,” said Huntsman after the game vs. Duke’s Lite. “Last year we lost (in the final) by one goal so that was rough. We’re trying to get the mentality of making a name for ourselves. We just have to keep pushing.”

Other Wasatch player comments following the Duke’s Lite game:

Ian Elson, 2016 MF, Riverton: “You can’t throw as many fakes; they start catching on. They know how to play good team offense and they have high IQ. We need to work harder to play Division I, II, or III lacrosse.”

Payton Carson, 2016 DEF, Juan Diego: “What I like is they play so differently; you have to make adjustments and keep changing things to keep up. I think we’re doing pretty well; this is a brand new team with freshmen and sophomores all the way to seniors.”

Noah Lund, 2017 ATT, Brighton: “I learned you have to move the ball and you can’t stand. You have to move your feet at all times. And they check hard, that’s for sure.”

Gage Fisher, 2017 MF, Olympus: “The level of play is definitely a lot better than back West. You have to play a lot harder and watch your passes. We’re really trying to win the championship at Tri-State because we are trying to make a name for the West Coast.”

Ben Adams, 2017 DEF, Skyline: “Back home it’s a lot more physical, there’s less finesse. It’s a lot more like football. Here it’s a lot quicker, here you have to watch off ball a lot more. I was kind of nervous about college recruiting. But it’s given me an idea that I can hang with these kids.

Duke’s L.C. head coach Ebe Helm said the experience of playing Wasatch for the third straight year has helped develop a strong relationship that benefits both programs.

Black Bear and Wasatch L.C.

“The value for Dukes is the expansion of our program and to understand how to compete with a team from another state and another world,” said Helm, whose Duke’s Programs teams are preparing for the first Passport Alliance Liberty Bell Challenge this weekend. “Then there is the benefit of having those two worlds coming together for a wonderful game like tonight

“The only way they are going to get better is to keep challenging themselves and keep competing as they pass that long from year to year. It’s only going to bring that program up multi levels. We’ve seen it for three years and they get better and better.

“It’s exciting that a team in Utah expanding and a tea in Utah that has a relationship with the Dukes Lacrosse Programs. It’s almost like our relationship with the Passport Alliance – teams from Canada, North Carolina, Connecticut, from all over. I lump Utah into that expansion – that expansion of lacrosse is the beauty of brotherhood in the sport that makes it what it is.”

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